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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cold — an illness
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. charge — in control
  13. rule — a law
  14. charge — electricity
  15. root — of a word
  16. rule — government
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — a price
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com